Sole plate for golf clubs



G. w. MATTERN SOLE PLATE FOR GOLF CLUBS Filed Nov. 27, 1920 4 v/ I, II III],

I II 7 INVENTOR 7 5 QM MQQLW ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 24, 1923;

an STATES 1,452,695 PATENT oFFica,

GEORGE W. MATTERN, OE DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CRAWFORD, MOGREGOR AND CAN BY COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

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Application filed November '27, 1920. Serial No. 426,704.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. MATTERN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and 5 State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sole Plates for Golf Clubs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to golf clubs, and more particularly to the a plication-of a sole plate, to the bottom of a cub in such manner that it will not be inert nor dampen the vibration, but to the contrary will distribute the impact of the blow, and equalize the vibration to afford a harmonious action -thruout the club. Heretofore, sole plates have been either formed integral with a weighting body, embedded in the head of the club by which the club is balanced, and the momentum of the stroke increased, or they have been merely an overlying plate secured to the bottom face of the club. In the event of a half topped ball, such sole plate receives a considerable portion of the impact. In those constructions wherein the sole plate and weighting body are integral, this blow tends to loosen the weight and interferes with the vibration of the club head. Moreover, by connecting the sole plate and the weighting body, the sole plate is rendered dead and hence has a dampening effect upon the vibrations of the club head.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to overcome these difficulties by providing a sole plate of such shape and so embedded in the club head, as to have a thrust bearing upon the material of the head independent of the attachment means, whereby the force of the impact and incident vibration will be distributed or equalized thruout the head.

I With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, or their equivalents as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a bottom view of a golf club head, to which the sole plate forming the subject matter hereof has been applied. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view' on line 22 of Fig. 1 of the club head, showing the relation of the sole plate to the weight and face plate. Fig. 3

other than the attachment screws.

is a sectional view on line 33 of. Fig. 1, and at right angles to that of Fig. 2.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

In the drawings, 1 is the head of the golf club, usually though not necessarily made of wood. At the rear side of the head 1, there has been shown the usual weight 2, by which the club head is balanced, and momentum afforded to the stroke. The striking face of the club is provided with a face plate 3, having impact plugs or inserts t, extending therethru and embedded in thebody of the head 1. The bottom of the club head 1 is provided with a recess or mortise, eonverg ing rearwardly, in which is inlaid or seated,

a sole plate 5 of truncated triangular or trapezoidal form. This sole plate 5 overhangs the lower edge of the face plate 3, and is suitably secured to the head 1 by screws,

6, or by other suitable means. The sole plate 5 being somewhat wedge-shaped, and seated in a corresponding recess or mortise, receiving the force of impact of a half topped ball, 30 upon its forward or wider edge, the tendency is to drive the sole plate rearward within the recess or mortise to wedge more tightly therein. The impact or force of the blow is i thus resisted by the converging walls or shoulders 7 of the tapered recess or mortise which thus affords thrust bearing for the sole plate. By this means the force of the blow is exerted equally in oppositedirections and is distributed thruout the entire width of the club head. It is-to be noted that in the present instance, the sole plate 5 is entirely independent of the wei hting body 2. The sole plate 5 is preferaby though not necessarily formed from hardened or spring sheet brass, such material being less inert than cast metal will transmit the vibration more freely and uniformly and will vibrate in harmony with the head 1.

It has been quite the practice to provide brassies with a sole plate, which however, is merely an overlay covering the entire bottom of the club head, having no thrust engagament therewith, nor abutment thereon,

In the present construction by afiording abutment shoulders 7 upon the head 1 for the engage- 'ment of the converging edges of the sole plate 5, by which the thrust is received, and the vibrations uniformly transmitted, an efii- I its advantages.

cient and harmonious action is achieved. Such action is decreased by attaching the sole plate to the weight and moreover, in such constructions the force of the impact only serves to loosen the weight from the club head, causing it to set up independent or counter vibration which destroys the har- 'While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it'is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown, but that the means and construction herein disclose-d comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a golf club head, of a rearwardly convergent sole plate of trapezoidal form extending substantially from the face to the rear edge of the club, the club head being recessed for the reception of said sole plate whereby the lateral converging edges of the plate have a seating engagement with the lateral shoulders of the recess by which rearward impact shocks are laterally transmitted to the club head through substantially the full fore and aftextent of the club head.

2. The combination with a golf club head of a metallic sole plate extending substantially from the front to the rear edges of the club head bottom and uniformly tapered in I a rearwardly direction, the club head being recessed to receive such tapered sole plate with its tapered edges abutting against the shoulders of the recess.

3. A wooden golf club head having its grain arranged transversely to the line of impact, and means for diverting the direction of the force of impact substantially into alignment with the grain of the club head comprising a sole plate having substantially straight, rearwardly converging lateral margins the club head being recessed to receive said plate which extends the greater portion of the extent of the club head in a fore and aft direction, and has lateral bearing upon the shoulders of said recess.

4. The combination with a golf club head, of a sole plate having substantially straight converging edges located in a corresponding recessed seat in the bottom of the club head with its opposite edges pomessing uniform wedging abutment upon the margins of the recessed seat.

5. The combination with a golf club head,

of a sole plate of less extent than the bottom of the head, said plate being of truncated triangular form, the head having in the bottom face a mortise to receive said plate upon the lateral shoulders of which the converging edges of the sole plate exert lateral premure uniformly throughout their extent.

6. The combination with a golf club head, of a sole plate having substantially straight convergent edges embedded in the bottom face of the club head, and exerting wedging action thereon under the force of impactwith a golf ball whereby the thrust is transmitted through substantially parallel lines of force divergent to the line of impact and received by the lateral margins of the sole plate seat.

- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of November, A. D.

GEORGE W. MATTERN. Witnesses H. B. CANBY, J OHN DINEEN. 

